This is an all-purpose thread for minor league notes that don't really need their own thread. Please use this thread as such. Transactions, injuries, scouting blurbs, hot streaks, slumps, etc are all fair game.

I trust Sickels much more than the other sites, can't say I'm surprised to see us at the bottom of the heap. He has a much more professional approach in his write ups unlike the goofs at BP and BA.

Sickels is great. Baseball America I can go either way on, but Phil Rogers shouldn't be in charge of White Sox prospects lists. BP is largely Kevin Goldstein who I'm a fan of, but he's more statistically inclined and is a big tools guy with his prospects. It's just important to know the thought processes/tendencies of most of the guys. I generally enjoy having the different points of view from each place.

I passed along to a source, the observation that some fans at WSI were wondering how Bell could get a promotion when according to a few sites, the Sox farm system is the worst in MLB. Just got the reply and I pass it along.

Some folks who know the minor league system like Dirty Sox might be able to amplify some of the observations:

"JR LOVES Buddy Bell, so he's set for life. There's a cartel among the Sox's front office that blames Duane Shaffer for everything.

Meanwhile, Doug Laumann was very testy after the first day of the 2011 draft and all the California guys he took, saying, ''contrary to what people think, I do leave the Ohio Valley."

I'm told he relies too much on Nick Hostetler (who is overmatched) and Derrek Valenzuela. Some call them "Starsky and Hutch."

As for the PD department, people will still blame Wilder and Regier. Regier had some bad hires during his two years running the show.

Best move today was getting Kirk Champion out of the pitching dept. How many pitchers have developed under Champ after being acquired from other organizations?

I think they got to spend more money in player development. Moving Champ out of that position was a good step. Doug has to get his friends out of there, but he'll do whatever Jerry says when it comes to the draft and taking the safe pick. Cost them every time.

Oh, and I leave you with this observation:

ChiTribRogers Buddy Bell's promotion to VP player development is another good sign for #whitesox front office. He's as experienced as it gets."

I passed along to a source, the observation that some fans at WSI were wondering how Bell could get a promotion when according to a few sites, the Sox farm system is the worst in MLB. Just got the reply and I pass it along.

Some folks who know the minor league system like Dirty Sox might be able to amplify some of the observations:

"JR LOVES Buddy Bell, so he's set for life. There's a cartel among the Sox's front office that blames Duane Shaffer for everything.

Meanwhile, Doug Laumann was very testy after the first day of the 2011 draft and all the California guys he took, saying, ''contrary to what people think, I do leave the Ohio Valley."

I'm told he relies too much on Nick Hostetler (who is overmatched) and Derrek Valenzuela. Some call them "Starsky and Hutch."

As for the PD department, people will still blame Wilder and Regier. Regier had some bad hires during his two years running the show.

Best move today was getting Kirk Champion out of the pitching dept. How many pitchers have developed under Champ after being acquired from other organizations?

I think they got to spend more money in player development. Moving Champ out of that position was a good step. Doug has to get his friends out of there, but he'll do whatever Jerry says when it comes to the draft and taking the safe pick. Cost them every time.

Oh, and I leave you with this observation:

ChiTribRogers Buddy Bell's promotion to VP player development is another good sign for #whitesox front office. He's as experienced as it gets."

Lip

I don't have much to say on that. Daver might. Though the deferring to Jerry in the draft with a safe pick continues to turn my stomach. Let the scouting and drafting people do their jobs and pick who they deem is worthy. Hard to hold people accountable when they aren't allowed to do their job. Ugh.